Other health indicators for chili pepper eaters, as a group, were varied. They tended to eat more vegetables and have lower cholesterol, but they also tended to drink, smoke and have lower incomes.

Also, Chili pepper eaters were often younger, which could skew the risk of death.

When the researchers separated the data by cause of death, red chili peppers were less of a factor. Vascular disease was the only cause of death where the pepper's health benefits came close to being statistically significant.

Still, the researchers argue the study supports Chinese research from 2015 that linked spicy foods to a lower risk of death.

Other experimental research has found the capsaicin in spicy foods can help fight obesity, cancer and inflammation.